Proposing / Planning a Path through the Pain

Let me get right to the point on this post and talk about the ultimate life arbiter besides DEATH and let me also say this post is an extension, a post-script and a follow-up to the previous post -

"You Can't Handle the Truth!" or the Pain

Because based on quite a few discussions with different people over an extended period of time on the subject of eating plans, exercise and general lifestyle to support and promote a more vigorous, longer and fulfilling life, this subject keeps coming up time and time again, especially when it involves a discussion of WHAT I DO and WHY I DO IT.

Of course, I'm talking about Pain.

Mr. Pain to Me - because I do respect this MFer and have spent a lot of time with him historically in an unmanaged or mismanaged way and continue to exchange blows with him on a daily basis but on a field of pain of my choosing.

As I said - Historically, his influence on my Life has been greater than it is now, which is a significant statement because it opens up a dialog and suggests a positive path in dealing with Mr. Pain.

Indulge me for a paragraph or 8 with some Motherhood and Apple Pie statements and general observations and specific recommendations on the subject of Pain and other related thoughts and items that hopefully will highlight a less torturous hike up Mt. Pain.

So here's my list of not so random thoughts about navigating a path / signing a treaty / reaching a cease fire or detente with Ambassador Pain.

• First off, I realize there are all different types of Pain - physical pain from an acute injury, chronic pain from a debilitating or diseased condition, mental and emotional pain brought on by relational or environmental stresses, pain of depression, loneliness, loss, grief, the pain of being UNHEALTHY - yep that may be the biggest Pain of them all because if feeds and facilitates so many of the other pains or at least leaves you less able to deal with / overcome the many pains of life.
• It is commonly understood that any skill, vocation, career, talent, program of accomplishment if you will, requires 10000 hours of DELIBERATE PRACTICE, to achieve proficiency.  That's basically a full time job for 5 years.  How this applies to this whole subject matter of Pain and Pain Management is that to become good at the job of Managing Life's Pains and developing a healthy lifestyle - however you define that - will likely require a 5-year education and a lot of progression and practice to get your degree.  Think of it as an investment in your future because that's what it is.
• When you open up the dialog of a 5-year path to achieve a healthy lifestyle and connect the dots of my own journey and arrive at the last dot, which might be a random question and discussion about WHAT I DO and HOW I DO what I do to look and be the way I am, it is important to realize just that - that you are looking at an endpoint of a greater than 5-year journey with all of the efforts and failures and learnings and experimentation and refining and education that came along the way.
• The takeaways from this realization and consideration are many and far-reaching and significant especially to someone who has not walked this path or even begun to walk this path.
• Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for this journey that I am aware of other than the ones I purport - which are covered / listed in the previous post.  I have already run the gauntlet so when I share the info, it is in the vein of an optimized path - one that will ensure that whoever follows it will not have to go through as much pain in the mistakes and detours of not having someone walk the path before them.
• Also, please try to avoid the trap of making excuses or psyching yourself out on the whole "bad carb restriction / high good fat consumption, intermittent fasting, intense exercise, etc." path / plan / proposal. with the argument - "Well it works for you but my body works differently.  I have to.... blah blah blah."  OK - Understood. But here's the deal - Everything I am talking about is not VooDoo, it's not conjecture, it's not guesswork - it's chemistry, body chemistry, biological mechanisms and functions - it is the science of the way the human body works - all human bodies work.  And your human body is no different.
• Now of course, as I said in the post before, you have to take these general principles and concepts and AMO - Adapt, Modify, Overcome - the obstacles and issues in your own life to implement them. Yep - that might be painful or Pain-Fool.
• Hey - I get it. People are at different phases in their lives and have different time and effort demands and considerations and priorities and schedules so prioritizing, planning, practicing and perfecting a Lifestyle Change as "radical" but reasonable as what I'm proposing can be a daunting task.
• Here's where I want to circle back to the point of where I am on my journey compared to and in consideration of where people I talk to might be.
• Begin the journey with small steps.  Eat the Elephant one Steak at a time.  Let me give you an example - I have had several people witness me doing 30" box jumps with ease in my workouts - and they have said "Oh - I could never do that!".  My response is "Nope - you can't but I bet you can do a 6" box jump and probably do it 10 times a day for a month.  And then, next month, you could move up to a 9" box jump and do it 10 times a day for a month. And then....". See where I'm going with this. Make a Plan based on Baby Steps or Jumps and then Start Jumping!
• Apply that good mind fuck, baby step progression to every aspect of this Lifestyle Enhancing Program.
• As another example - on the intermittent fasting - which in review means you basically go 16 - 23 hours from the last meal the day before to the first meal of the next day.  I tell people - Please don't try to do this in one "Cold Turkey" move.  Begin by delaying your normal breakfast by an hour for a week or 2.  Let your body adapt. Remember you are beginning to wean yourself off of carb / sugar addiction and beginning the repair of Insulin Resistance brought on by years of frequent eating - which by the way is complete bullshit.  The science and studies and medical papers that have been published especially over the last 10 years have proven unequivocally that the WORST thing you can do to your body is eat FREQUENT meals.  Time restricted eating, which is the same as Intermittent Fasting, restricts your eating to 1 - 8 hours a day, depending on how "deep" you go into it, and is the KEY to Body Repair / Life Enhancement and Extension.
• So - continuing this specific progression on implementing Intermittent Fasting - the next couple of weeks you stretch your breakfast to - say 10:00 am - and you start cutting out the between breakfast and lunch snacks and the late night snacks and before bed eating.
• Again - you see how this progression is going - so carry on with it and meanwhile, back at the Bad Carb Restriction / Good Fat Expansion Ranch, you begin transitioning your caloric intake from that steady input of Processed Foods (that contain so much hidden sugar), Bread, Grains, Potatoes, Pasta, Rice, High Sugar Fruits, and yes Santa Fe - TORTILLAS and CHIPS!, etc. to high quality meats (yes - Fat is Your Friend and Sugar is Your Enemy!), Eggs (absolutely the "perfect" food), Cheese (one shot of Apple Cider Vinegar immediately after each meal will help with all kinds of digestive issues like lactose intolerance - believe me I know - I used to fart like a GD Pasture Cow after eating cheese and now with the help of the Apple Cider Vinegar to increase the acidity of my stomach and improve digestion and assimilation of all that I eat - nothing but Eat and Enjoy!), Butter, Olive Oil, Avocados and Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans and of course, a "bucket full" of green leafy and cruciferous vegetables like kale, swiss chard, beet greens, Romaine, Spring Mix, red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussel sprouts, squash, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.  Find your own way to make the veggies tastes good - I season everything I cook heavily with salt, pepper and a mix of Curry powder, Garam Masala and Allspice and then dress my cooked and raw veggies with a good dousing of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil.  Try that - I'll bet you'll like veggies more than you realized.
• Believe me - as I stated in the previous post - there will be a "Pain" of craving what you had before and what you are now denying yourself. Satiate your cravings with "good fats". One of my little secret indulgences is a mix of salted coconut oil or butter, dark chocolate, blueberries and walnuts.  Everyone I have introduced this little concoction to has raved over the seratonin producing / palate exciting qualities (think Pleasure over Pain!) it has and how it immediately ends all cravings for "bad carbs" and sugar.  
• One last consideration / fact before I begin to wrap this Pain Prescription up and this is a really important point.  Don't view me or watch me and use me as Your Example.  I am a self-admitted Extremist! I am taking all of these concepts and programs and practices to the Nth degree - because that's what I want. That's what I enjoy - seeing how far I can stretch all this in achieving a non-linear, non-universal level of fitness and appearance.  YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT! You could do / implement 50 - 60% of what I'm doing and transform your life in a meaningful and incredible way - with much less Pain and Discomfort. So please - don't let me be a discouragement or some vestige of an Unachievable Endpoint or Goal - just look at me as a Guide or Compass to get you headed in the right direction and then make the general concepts / practical applications match Your Life and Goals.
• We all have to face different and consistent Pain in our lives.  What I am suggesting is that you "Choose Your Pain".  Introduce the pain and sacrifice of a healthy eating plan and vigorous exercise regimen that will transition your whole being and daily existence from all the pain you have to deal with in being unhealthy.  You will be absolutely amazed at how much better you feel, how much clearer you think, how much better you do at work and at home when you get off the "Sugar Train" and starting Walking the Talk of a Clean Keto eating plan and vigorous exercise schedule - and let me add - one will support the other in an incredible self-sustaining Positive Cycle - the better you eat, the harder you will be able to work out, which will leave you craving "Good Food" vs Junk to facilitate the repair of the body from the workout.
• Make creating a New You a #1 Priority because as I have said so many times - the Least Selfish thing you can do in your Life - for your spouse, for your children, for your parents, for your career, for every aspect of your Life - is to take care of you First!
• Look at it as an Investment in the Most Important Asset in Your Life Portfolio - YOU!

Ok Folks - I'm done preaching and pontificating.

Here's the Key Takeaway - I totally understand and empathize with the Whole Concept of Pain Avoidance - especially when it applies to Food and Exercise

I get it - I really do.

But here's the Cold and Hard Truth.

We all have to deal with some level of Pain and Discomfort on a daily basis in some way or another and if you don't take care of yourself, you're gonna have to deal with it more along the way and ultimately through premature aging and death than you would if you had just made some reasonable, planned, practiced, scientifically-based adjustments along the way.

So the Choice is up to You.

Let the Pain of an Unhealthy Lifestyle control, shorten and destroy your life OR

Pick a Pain of Your Choice that will ultimately benefit you in a longer, more productive, enjoyable and happy and healthy lifestyle.

I've chosen my Pain.

And that is the Greatest Discovery of my Life.